Brain Anatomy
You feel a "jolt" of fear during a surprise pop quiz. This part of your brain just triggered the alarm.
Amygdala
The strategy of breaking a 10-page research paper into 5 "micro-deadlines" to avoid being overwhelmed.
Chunking
Instead of reading notes over and over, you use flashcards to force your brain to find the answer. Name this method.
active recall / retrieval practice
The "First Pass" technique involves doing this to your test paper to build momentum and "warm up" the brain.
Scanning and answering all the "easy/sure" questions first to build confidence and trigger memory.
You prepared for a Socratic Seminar, but the teacher switched to a timed essay. You must use this skill to pivot.
Cognitive Flexibility
This structure is "indexing" your history notes into long-term memory while you sleep.
Hippocampus
If your locker is a "black hole" and you lose your math homework daily, you are struggling with this EF skill.
Organization
You create a "brain dump" sheet for a Chemistry quiz. How does this help your "Cognitive Load"?
It reduces your "cognitive load" by putting information on paper, freeing up the brain to solve the actual problem.
On a multiple-choice question, you find two "distractor" answers that look almost right. What is your next move?
Process of Elimination
When a "Productive Struggle" turns into a "Destructive" one (tears/shutting down), name one way to "reset."
Change the einvironment, change the medium (draw instead of write), or explain the concept using the Feynman Method
Why the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) and the Amygdala are often "at war" during a stressful Finals Week.
Prefrontal Cortex
You have a soccer game, play rehearsal, and a lab report. Identify the "Big Rocks" vs. the "Sand."
"Big rocks" are the non-negitiable, high stakes; "sand" is the minor tasks (checking email, color coding) - you must fit the "big rocks" first
Explain why "Interleaving" (mixing math, then bio, then math) is better than "Blocking" (3 hours of only math).
Interleaving forces the brain to constantly "re-load" strategies, by switching concepts, which builds stronger long-term pathways.
A question uses the words "Always" or "Never." Why do these words usually make a statement false?
These are "absolute qualifiers." In the real world, there is always an exception, so "always" statements are rarely true.
While sitting and listening to a lecture is considered "passive," happens in a science lab when you actually conduct experiments and solve problems yourself.
What is active learning.
This part of the brain allows a varsity athlete to play "without thinking" by coordinating muscle memory.
Cerebellum
Metacognition" is "thinking about thinking." Give an example of this after you receive a grade you didn't want.
Analyzing why you missed the a point (misreading the direction vs I did not know the facts)
Define "Spaced Repetition" and explain why it is the only way to beat the "Forgetting Curve."
The "Foregetting Curve" shows we lose 70% of information in the 24 hours or less unless we review the information at increasng intervals.
You are a "Night Owl" with high energy at 8 PM. Should you do your hardest Calculus work at 4 PM or 8 PM?
8PM. Match your hardest "Cognitive Load" to your highest energy levels.
How does "Transfer of Learning" help you solve a Physics problem using a concept you learned in History?
Using what you learned in one class or situation and applying it to different situation.
This property of the nervous system allows it to adapt to injury or new environments by forming new connections between neurons.
What is Neuroplasticity
You have "Decision Fatigue" by 3 PM and can't choose what to eat. Which EF skill is depleted, and how do you fix it?
Self-control
You are studying for a cumulative final. Design a schedule that uses "Active Recall" starting 2 weeks out.
Day 1: Self-test
Day 3: Review missed
Day 7: Full practice
Day 14: Final review
How can you make a "Big Project" feel "Urgent" two weeks before it is actually due?
Creating "mini-deadlines" or a "social contract" (studying with a partner at a set time)
This "self-starting" skill involves recognizing your own needs and communicating them clearly to others to ensure you have what you need to succeed.
What is self-advocacy.